Improvement in apparatus for producing gas from coal



UNITED STATES TIMOTHY OMEAisA, OE BROOKLYN, New' YORK, AssieNOR To HiMsELF, JAMES F. PRESTOMBOBERT M. FRYER, DwienT MAROY, ANDANDREW R.. FRYER,Ass1GNORs To UNITED sTATes Gas COMPANY, OF ROGKVILLE,

CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GAS FROM COAL.

Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. 106,863, dated August 30, 1870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY OMEARA, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain Improve-v ments in Gras Apparatus and Process. of which the following is a speciiication:

My invention consists in the construction of an apparatus, by which means the two following results can be obtained: First, to generate into permanent gas the volatile portion of coal in its early stages of distillation` in the process of gas-making, which is now carried oft' with the gas in a condensable state; second, to treat the coal and its product during its later stage of distillation, according to the usual method ot' gas-making.

Referring to the accompanying drawing,

Figure l is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a transverse section. Fig. 8 is a side elevation. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section. A is the upper retort. B is the passage or connection between A and C. C is the lower retort. D is the stand-pipe, leading from C to the hydraulic main. E is the outlet-pipe, leading from A to the hydraulic main. F is the valve in pipe D. Gr is the valve in pipe E. H is the hydraulic main.

In the present method, when a charge Ot' coal is placed in a heated retort, the coal, being cold, naturally absorbs a large' portion of the heat, reducing the temperature, and the heat but gradually penetrating the body of the coal, while its surfaces are exposed to its greatest degree, thus exposes various portions of the charge to very unequal temperatures, and this occurring while the coal is giving o its richest and most abundant vapors, the result is that but a small portion of permanent gas is made, while a large portion ot the product is carried oi' in heavy vapor, and arrested in the hydraulic main, and resolved into coal-tar, water, 8vo., thus causing, at the commencement of the charge, the loss ot' a large quantity of the richest gas-producing material.

The loss thus sustained I propose to obviate, and to convert into permanent gas the whole or a large portion of the constituents carried off.

To effect this, l employ, in the lower retort, charcoal, or other` similar chemical, for the purpose Ot' taking up the oxygen given off, and converting the lighter vapors into hydrogen, carbonio Oxide, Sto., and to assist in furnishing the heat required for generating the heavy vapor'into gas.

Operation The coal is placed in thc upper retort, and the distillate is carried down and passed through the charcoal, or other chemi# cal employed, in the lower retort. The permanent gas is permitted to pass on, and thev heavy vapor brought into contact with the necessary degree oi heat for its conversion into gas, the oily portion being converted into a rich illuminating-gas, and the aqueous vapor, by the action ofthe charcoal, is converted into hydrogen, carbonic oxide, &c., which in their passage through the retort, saturate themselves with much free carbon that would otherwise be lost, and also increase the rapidity with which the gases generated leave the retort. Y

When the charge is sufficiently run, so that the richest portions of the oily and aqueous vapors are expended, the gas generated in the upper retort is conducted directly to the main, by means ot' the pipe leading from the rear, without passing through the lower retort. This is eii'ected by opening the valve G andclosing the valve F.

The object of changing the route of the gas made at the last ot' a charge is, that the assistance of the charcoal is unnecessary, the coal having arrived at a heat sufficient in itself to convert the product into permanent gas. y

ln the construction otl a bench, the pipe E, leading from the rear of the upper retort A, could be placed in front, and the result would be as above; but by having it as. shown, the passage B, between the two retorts, can be cleaned when necessary.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination ofthe retorts A and C,

the passage B, pipes D and E, and valves F 3.flhe combination of the two distinct proand G, substantially as and for the purpose cesses herein described, substantially as and hereinbefore set forth. for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. The process of convertin the product of coal into gas, by the introducon and assist- TIMOTHY OMEARA' ance of charcoal, or its equivalent, into the l Witnesses: retort, substantially as and for the purposes DWIGHT MAROY, hereinbefore set forth. J. P. TUSTON. 

